


I'm Only Human

by PurrtlePuff



Series: The Supernatural Adventures of Jacksepticeye [5]
Category: Youtuber RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Gen, a bit of angst, also danny and arin have a lot of regrets, and his kidnappers get more than they bargained for, but not until the end so fun times all around, demons are no fun, in which Jack is kidnapped, like a buttload of violence in the later scene, lots of tension, plus our main villain is mentioned so there's that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:10:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrtlePuff/pseuds/PurrtlePuff
Summary: Jack found himself surrounded by the supernatural every day. It was so commonplace, he forgot normal humans don't know the supernatural exist.Well at least, he did, until he's kidnapped from his front porch by two supernatural investigators, both intent on making Jack shift into a werewolf. Problem is, Jack's only human... right?





	I'm Only Human

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write! I have read it at least 10 times now to make sure it flowed right, since I puked a bunch of words on the page in one sitting.
> 
> I'm getting it out early because I'm going away this weekend, and I want you all to think about this chapter in my absence~
> 
> Plus, I'm kind of nervous, because it's my first time writing a certain character, but I wrote it before October, so I'm not sure if I did it right haha.
> 
> There are four parts before this, but it's not necessary to read them. It may fill in some blanks though.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! :D

Jack watched the moving van speed away from their neighbor’s house. He clicked his tongue. His neighbors forgot to say goodbye.

The couple next door were stereotypical grandparent neighbors. Mrs. Evans would bake them a pie every holiday and come over to say hello, and Mr. Evans would trim their lawn if Jack and Ken’s work called them in on weekends. They were the best neighbors Jack could ask for.

Or at least they were until a monster hunter and their newly discovered vampire neighbor had a fight in the front yard. Jack remembered how scared Mr. Evans looked trimming his hedges the next day. He swore the man peed his pants when he saw Jack. Mrs. Evans was so cold when they got their mail together, Jack thought she was made of popsicles.

But more importantly, they knew about them. Would they tell anyone what happened?

Jack ran a hand through his hair. Of course, who would believe them? Supernatural things hid well from the human side of the world. Only stories captured certain elements from their world, most likely from supernatural beings who wanted to see how humans would react to them. Jack admitted depicting supernaturals as monsters wouldn’t help, but at least it prepared humans for the worst. Not all supernatural creatures lived peacefully among humans.

“You spend so much time on this porch, I thought you were glued to it,” Mark said as he leaned on the front door frame. Jack turned his head and smirked.

“Better here than stuck inside.”

Mark rolled his eyes. He looked up at the sun. “Trust me, I wish I was stuck on the porch. I miss how warm the sun felt.”

Jack looked down for a moment then back at Mark. What did someone say to that? He took in a deep breath. “At least you don’t have to worry about sunburn.”

“Oh yeah. Don’t you Irish burn like crazy?”

Jack examined his arms and noticed a slight pink hue. “For fuck’s sake, I’ve only been out here for like 30 minutes.”

Mark laughed and Jack smiled soon after. A cloud drifted in front of the sun, and Jack’s skin cooled. He tested the red patch. No pain yet, but Jack knew he’d be a lobster if he stayed out any longer. He stood up and dusted his pants off.

“So, what are ya making for-”

Jack cried out and reached up to his neck. A sharp pain, like a bee sting, sunk into the left side. Jack’s hand brushed a thin object with fuzz on the end. He pulled it out and examined it. Was that a tranquilizer dart? Fear quickened his heartbeat.

“Jack?” Mark called out, his eyes laced with worry. Jack looked up. Since when did Mark get a twin? He swayed to the side and grabbed onto the porch rail. “Jack!”

His knees buckled under him, and the world tipped to its right. Jack’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he crumpled in toward the side of his porch.

Mark jumped off the door frame and lurched forward. His hand reached out of the house and disintegrated in front of him. Mark recoiled. He forgot he couldn’t leave. All he could do was watch the black car door on the other side of the road open.

A man in casual clothing, someone you would expect to be at your local hardware store, stepped out. He looked from side to side before crossing the street.

Mark grit his teeth. “Who are you? What do you want?” Wait, could this man see him? Mark growled under his breath as the man ascended the stairs. He put his hands on the side of Jack’s neck and talked to his coat pocket.

“Subject is unconscious. Awaiting orders.”

“Don’t touch him!” Mark balled his hands into fists. Why did they have to come when Ken was out at the store? He thought of Felix asleep upstairs. “Felix, get down here now! Jack needs help!” He wanted to go get him, but he feared missing important information. He tried calling Felix’s name again.

The man’s pocket hissed and spoke, “Don’t be so dramatic. Bring him over. Any others lurking around the house?”

The man looked up. “The living room is empty. Should I scout upstairs?”

“No. We don’t want to attract too much attention.”

The man pulled Jack onto his shoulder. He grunted as he stood up straight.

Mark’s eyes turned white. “Put him down.”

The entire living room shook. The man’s eyes widened as picture frames bounced off the wall, the lamp fell over, and the television roared to life with static. He backed down the stairs, Jack in hand, and crossed the side of the road.

“Jack!” Mark called out. He tried to leave again, but it failed. “Bring him back now! JACK!”

The man put Jack in the back seat and quickly got into the driver’s side. The car sped down the road. If Mark was alive, his heart would’ve stopped by now. The house slowed to a halt, and Mark’s eyes returned to their normal pale blue.

A dramatic yawn came from the stairs. “Mark, whatever you’re flipping out about, can you keep it down? I need my beauty sleep.”

“Felix!” Mark turned. “Jack’s gone! Someone took him.”

“What?” Felix froze on the stairs. “What do you mean someone took him?”

“This guy tranqued him and took him somewhere.”

Felix narrowed his eyes. “Why didn’t you do anything?”

“Don’t you think I tried? I can’t leave the house, remember? It happened on the porch. I tried to wake you up.”

Felix ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, what did they look like? What kind of car did they drive? Were they hunters? Who the fuck would want Jack? He’s only human.”

Mark pursed his lips. “I… don’t know, and that’s what scares me.”

Felix ran a hand through his hair. “Signe. Signe might know.” He ran upstairs and looked around Jack's room. He didn't know whether to be relieved or not that Jack’s phone rested on the nightstand.

If Signe didn't know these people…

Felix looked through Jack’s contacts and hit Signe's name. Well, the nickname Jack gave her: “The Woosh.” A picture of her and Jack together appeared on the screen, and Felix swallowed thickly.

After three rings, she picked up. “Hey, Jack, what’s up?”

“Jack's been kidnapped.”

“W-what? Felix if this is a joke-”

“I wish it was.” He told her everything he knew so far from Mark. He paced back and forth as he held Jack’s phone to his ear, and listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. The was a lot of shouting and accusations, but honestly, he didn't remember much. Jack haunted his mind through the whole conversation.

“Look, Jack’s not on my family’s radar, and they wouldn’t just take someone,” Signe spoke. “They’d make sure he was supernatural first then put them on a watch list. It’s standard hunter procedure.”

“But not all hunters are like your family. They’re desperate to make a name for themselves.” Felix ran a hand through his hair. “You sure you don’t know who took him?”

Signe sighed heavily. “No, but I’m going to find out. You said they drove away in a black Chimaera right? Tony is searching the car registry right now. If one of us has it, we’ll know.”

“Thank you,” Felix said and nodded his head.

“Don’t worry, Felix. I’m not going to let whoever did this get away with it.” Signe’s voice sounded strained. They said a quick goodbye, and Felix hung up the phone. He flopped onto the couch next to Mark and rested his head on the back.

“She’s got nothing,” Felix groaned. Mark stayed silent and stared at the wall.

“If I could’ve left the house, I would have trailed him or something.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s not your fault.”

“What do you think those people want with him anyway?”

Felix shrugged. The front door opened, and Ken balanced paper grocery bags in his arms.

“Hey, someone want to give me a hand?” He asked and closed the door with his foot. Felix jumped up and took the half on the top. Ken peered over the paper bags and said a quick thanks before looking at Mark. He chuckled. “You look like someone just died.”

“For all I know, he could be dead.”

“Mark, please,” Felix hissed and walked the groceries into the kitchen.

Ken furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Someone took Jack. We don’t know where, who, or why.”

Ken nearly dropped his groceries. He set them down on the coffee table in front of the couch. “What do you mean someone came and took him.” He looked at the broken lamp and askew picture frames. “What happened?”

Felix emerged from the kitchen and joined them. “All we know is these people in a black Chimaera came by and shot a tranq dart in Jack’s neck, and then-”

“Wait, a black Chimaera? Did it have an old license plate with a bunch of numbers on it?”

Felix furrowed his brow and Mark nodded. “Yeah… 3, 5, something 2, 4-”

“358S124.” Ken cursed under his breath. “I know exactly who took Jack.”

 

Oh god, Jack had the worst headache. His mouth tasted like a bunch of cotton balls sat on his tongue for hours. Something smelled like dirty gym socks. He wanted to open his eyes. His head rolled to the other side.

Okay, so his neck worked. He flexed his fingers. Something cold ran over his wrists, and Jack tried to jerk them backward. His eyes cracked open. The room was dark, except for a small window over to the right. Grass peeked out from the bottom. Jack opened his eyes a little wider. The walls looked like cinder block, and a set of wooden stairs lead through the ceiling.

On the wall to Jack’s left, what looked to be a private bar, was lined with machines, chemicals, and papers. It looked more disorganized than Jack’s whole basement. Something printed and landed on a pile of abandoned papers on the concrete floor.

Jack looked back at his wrists. Silver plates fastened his arms to the sides of a wooden chair. He tried to pull them back harder. His wrists may be thin, but they didn’t budge. He tried his legs, which echoed his wrist’s situation.

What the fuck was going on?

Jack tried to stay calm as he looked to the wooden rafters above him. Someone eventually had to come and explain.

Jack thought of how worried Mark must be. Did he try to get to him? Jack recalled Mark’s prison-like predicament. Would he even think to wake Felix? Did Ken happen to arrive home at just the right moment? Did they have any clue where he was?

The door upstairs opened, and Jack heard footsteps along with creaking stairs. He pushed his back into the chair and pretended he never woke up. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest. The noise stopped, and someone dry laughed.

“Holy shit, Arin, how much did you give him? He’s still not awake.”

“You can’t be too careful,” a second voice called upstairs. “We don’t know what he is.”

“Well, he’s got a heartbeat, so I think it’s safe to assume he’s not the vampire.”

Another set of footsteps descended the stairs. “You think he’s only human?”

“Why in the world would a human live with a vampire?”

“Blood donors are a thing.”

“The Evans said they heard howling on full moons but thought nothing of it. There’s a werewolf somewhere in that house.”

The Evans? Jack’s blood ran cold. They squealed and someone believed them. Who were these people?

One of them walked over to Jack. They put their hand on his shoulder and shook it. Jack allowed his head to flop a bit.

“He should wake up in the next few minutes,” the voice next to him spoke. “It should only put a werewolf to sleep for a few hours.”

“Well I wish it’d hurry up. The sooner we talk to him the better.” The person sucked in a breath. “Just think, Arin. We finally got one. We’re finally not going to be crazy.”

“We haven’t proven anything yet, Dan. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Don’t be such a grump.”

The hand left Jack’s shoulder, and Jack visibly relaxed. He hoped they didn’t notice. Footsteps retreated up the stairs, and a door slammed and locked.

Jack exhaled everything in his lungs. He took several deep breaths in and tried to calm down. Okay, so these people thought he was a werewolf. They knew about Felix. His heart skipped a beat. What if they tried to hurt Felix next? He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped Ken could keep Felix out of trouble.

But what if they did get ahold of one of them? What if they came looking for Jack, but those people were waiting? Well, he sure as hell wasn’t going to sit around and wait for someone to get hurt on his account.

Jack grunted as he pulled his wrist back as hard as he could. It held solid. Angry lines threatened to break blood on his skin, and he stopped struggling. What the heck were these made of... titanium? No, they’d be made of silver. His head flopped against the chair’s backing. How long was he down here?

After what felt like an eternity, the door upstairs opened again, and Jack swallowed. This time, he wanted answers. He narrowed his eyes and put on the most disgruntled face he could think of. Black, mud-stained boots slowly descended the stairs. Jack waited until the tattered jeans and ironic black ghostbuster shirt revealed their owner. Wide brown eyes looked down at him.

“Arin, get down here! He’s awake,” the man said. Rapid footsteps approached the door, and someone sped halfway down the stairs. Jack watched his lips curl into a grin as the other man, Arin, exhaled harshly.

“Holy shit, you’re awake. I thought I accidentally killed you.” Arin ran a hand through his hair.

The other man practically jumped down the stairs to get a closer look at Jack. “Damn, you’re not bad looking.”

Jack heard Arin hiss the name ‘Dan’ and he spat, “Not interested, thanks.”

Dan leaned back and clapped his hands. “Oh, there’s so much I want to ask you! Where do I even start? Wait,” He turned and looked behind him. “Arin, get down here and stop being rude.”

“Oh, now you’re concerned about being rude?” Jack spoke. “You weren’t too concerned when you stuck a dart in my neck, took me from my home, strapped me to a chair, and stuck me in some musty old basement.”

Arin, looked almost sympathetic. “We didn’t know if you’d be hostile or cooperate, so we had to take precautionary measures.”

“Precautionary?” Jack snuffed. “What the fuck do you think I am?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Dan said. “We heard there were supernatural sightings in your front yard.”

“You’re crazy.”

Dan took in a deep breath and put his hand on the back of Jack’s chair. His face twisted in anger as he leaned the chair back. Jack yelped as Dan leaned in close to his face.

“Do not. Call me crazy.”

Arin pushed Dan off Jack, and he whispered something to him. He turned to Jack and said, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you.” Jack watched Dan recompose himself as Arin continued, “We heard from two reliable sources that a vampire was sighted in your front yard. Your neighbors said-”

“Wait, do these neighbors happen to be Mr. and Mrs. Evans?” Jack dry laughed. “You do know Mr. Evans suffers from dementia, and Mrs. Evans has a really overactive imagination, right? Plus, it was dark out, so you never know if it’s true.”

“Well, if it didn’t happen, how did you know it was dark outside?” Dan asked. Jack sucked in a short breath.

Arin added, “We also have security camera footage from their house. Trust me, we wouldn’t waste our time without solid evidence.”

“Yeah, well, then you would know the vampire is not me,” Jack said. “So why am I here?”

“The Evans also mentioned werewolf like activities on full moons.”

“So you think I’m a werewolf?” Jack laughed. “A werewolf and a vampire living harmoniously under one roof? You’ve got to be kidding me. Everyone knows they hate each other.”

“We’ve heard stranger things.” Arin wrung his hands together. “We just missed the full moon, so we can’t test our theory through natural causes. That’s why we’re creating a steroid that will force you to shift.”

Jack raised his brows. “You’re serious?”

Dan smirked. “What’s the matter? Feeling a little nervous?”

“No,” Jack said and rolled his eyes. “I’m not a wolf, so it won’t work.”

“That’s fine,” Arin responded. “It works on any supernatural creature. Whatever you are, we’ll know.”

“And if I’m human?”

“You might get a bad case of diarrhea.” Dan shrugged. “We don’t know. We never tested it on ourselves.”

“Then how do you know what will happen?”

“Oh we don’t, but we’ll find out.” Dan patted Arin’s shoulder and climbed up the basement stairs. “Let me know when the SS is done. I want to be here when he shifts.”

Arin nodded and examined the chemical burning on the table. He hummed a song as he turned up the heat on a blue bubbling chemical. The beaker whistled, and Arin opened the vent on the top.

Jack should have been calm, but his heart kept pounding. He knew he was human. They said it shouldn’t do anything to him, but the uncertainty of what would happen echoed in his mind. What if they did this to another supernatural creature after him?

Jack thought of Ken strapped to this chair and crying out in pain as they forced him to shift. In that retrospect, he was thankful they got him and not Ken. While Ken would be calm under pressure, he hurt thinking of his friend in this situation.

Arin went to the other side of the table and wrote stuff down. Jack tapped his fingers on his chair. Was he really going to strike up a conversation with this guy?

“I can feel you staring at me,” Arin said. “You still have questions?”

“Just a few,” Jack kept his voice hollow.

Arin chuckled. “Look, if I were you, I’d know I’d have a lot of questions. We’re not bad guys. We’re just trying to prove something.”

“You’re giant assholes? Yeah, I think you’ve proven that rather well.”

Arin glanced up from his writing and back at the paper. “Look, nothing against you… Jack. It is Jack, right? Mrs. Evans talked about this Irish kid who,” he raised the pitch of his voice, “was just the sweetest green bean you ever met.”

Arin waited for Jack to answer. He continued, “Anyway, like I said, nothing personal. We just don’t want to be labeled crazy anymore.”

Jack’s expression softened. “You ever had experience with the supernatural before?”

Arin stopped writing. He stared at the paper for a moment and stood up straight. Stepping over a few forgotten beakers on the floor, Arin walked over to and stood in front of Jack. He lifted his shirt up, revealing four diagonal scars. Jack felt sick. The wound went from the top of his left peck, across his stomach, and ended at his hip bone. Arin put his shirt back down.

“When I was little, I was attacked by a really large dog, or at least that’s what they told me. I know what I saw. That dog was a werewolf.”

“Did it,” Jack picked his words carefully, “did it turn you?”

Arin shook his head. “I read somewhere you had to be a pureblood werewolf to turn someone else. I wish it would’ve; I would have proof they exist then.”

“You don’t want to be a werewolf,” Jack said without thinking. He gripped the sides of the chair. Arin’s attention peaked, and Jack swallowed thickly. He continued, “I have a friend who is a werewolf. Every full moon is horrible. He goes through aggressive fits the day before the full moon, screams in pain because shifting hurts so much, we have to lock him in a cell made of silver to keep him from hurting anyone else. He can’t control himself when he’s the wolf… not without a pack, so you’d be screwed.”

Arin deflated a bit. Jack chewed on his lip. Did Arin skip thinking about the consequences of being a werewolf? Arin walked away from Jack and behind his counter. Jack kept his eyes on him, and Arin stayed silent.

Jack sighed. “Look, I know what it’s like to be called crazy for things you’ve seen. I used to see strange stuff all the time when I was little. My parents took me to every psychologist they could find, but I still saw these things. I told the doctors that they were real, they talked back, they touched me, but the doctors told me I was seeing things. I started to question what was real and what wasn’t, and I… I went to a really low place for a while.” He shuddered at the thought. “Then one day, I decided to stop telling people, because I didn’t want to be hurt anymore.”

Arin ran a hand through his hair. “That may be fine for you, but I have something to prove. I know what I saw exists; I have the mark to prove it. But it’s still not enough.” He put the burner from before on low heat and stepped out from behind the counter. He climbed halfway up the stairs before pausing and looking down at Jack. “If you really are human, and this is just all for nothing, I hope you don’t take this personally.”

Jack wanted to say something. Arin waited, nodded his head, and climbed the rest of the stairs to leave Jack alone in the setting sun-lit basement.

 

Signe parked her car in front of the house and sighed. Jack disappeared 15 hours ago, and her family still had no lead. She hoped the boys had more luck than her and stepped out of her car. She looked up at Jack’s room, which was eerily dark, and hugged herself. Who in the world would want to hurt Jack?

After walking up the porch steps, she knocked on the door and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Ken opened the door and pulled his lips into a tight line.

“We think we know who has him.” Signe perked up, and Ken continued, “We just don’t know where they are.”

Ken invited Signe in. Felix sat on the couch, his skin red and in some places a deep shade of brown, with his elbows resting on his kneecaps. Signe chewed her lip. He looked worse than she felt. She sat down beside Felix, and he flinched as she moved the couch seat.

“Do you have any names?” she asked.

Ken sat on the loveseat across from them. “The car itself belongs to a group of paranormal and supernatural investigators. They’ve been trying to prove we existed for at least 26 years now. Their leader has been at this since he had an encounter with a vampire. He’s a sadistic man, and I’m pretty sure he’s only in this to destroy the peace we’ve kept with humans all these years.”

“I’m well acquainted with William and his antics,” Signe said. She rubbed her temples. “Our family has been trying to get him out of the business for years, but he keeps coming back. I know a lot of the people who follow him are seeking answers, but he takes it too far. He’s going to hurt someone.”

“Hopefully not Jack,” Felix spoke. Singe flinched and felt his dry voice grate her skin. She opened her mouth to comment, but Ken spoke.

“I don’t think they will.”

“You don’t know that,” Signe said. “If anything, they might use him as bait to get to you two.”

“I dare them,” Felix said and flashed his teeth.

“If they’re using Jack to smoke us out-”

“I’ll go get him back,” Signe spoke. Felix side glanced at her. She continued, “It looks like you’ve sacrificed enough to get him back. Let me handle this.”

The door knocked. Felix smelled the air, spoke in Swedish, and said. “Ken, let her in.”

Ken nodded and walked over to the door. He opened it, and Marzia pushed past him. She glanced over at Signe for a moment before putting her hands on Felix’s cheeks. He pulled away and cried out but eased himself back into his former position soon after. She whispered sweet words and kissed his forehead.

“You smell like burnt cookies.”

Felix smiled. “Don’t sugar coat it Marzia. I know I look and smell like shit.”

“I’m not sure Jack would appreciate you burning yourself, but I know he would thank you for your effort.” She looked over at Signe and eyed her over.

Signe shifted in her seat and introduced herself. Marzia hesitated and held out her hand to shake.

“I heard you and Jack are dating,” Marzia said.

“I heard you’ve been keeping Felix out of trouble.”

“As much as I could.” She sighed. “He still manages to get himself in really dumb situations.”

“Well, he is 300 years old. He’s not going to change his ways just because he met a beautiful woman.”

“I’m right here,” Felix grumbled. Signe and Marzia both laughed, and Marzia sat down beside Signe. She folded her hands together and chewed her lip.

“Look,” Signe said. “I’m not uncomfortable if he needs to feed off of you. I know it will help him.”

“I know,” Marzia replied, “but we’ve never… I’ve never been watched before when he’s feeding off of me. Well, one person has watched.” She sighed. “I hope he’s okay.”

“I can go into the kitchen,” Signe stood up and brushed her shirt out. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Marzia flashed her a quick smile before rolling up her shirt sleeve. To the naked eye, her arm looked like Felix left it unmarked, but Signe smelled mint and honey. The skin medicine vampires gave to donors sped up the healing of the wound and left a pungent smell. Signe stood, turned, and walked into the kitchen to give privacy.

Ken shut the door behind them and rubbed his neck. “That’s the last time he goes out into the sun without reapplying his sunscreen.”

“No it isn’t,” Signe said and dry laughed.

“Probably not.” Ken sighed. “Look, about who has Jack-”

“Oh I know William doesn’t deal with people directly,” Signe said. “Not unless they are a confirmed supernatural.”

“That’ll buy us some time. I don’t know who has him or where they took him, but since the full moon was two nights ago, I might be able to track Jack’s scent. I only have a day or two before my enhanced sense of smell goes away. If we walk around town long enough, I might pick something up.”

“Let’s hope he’s not too far,” Signe sighed. “Hang in there, Jack.”

 

“It’s done.”

“Finally. Do you think we should wait until he wakes up to give it to him?”

“Billy’s not going to wait that long. Besides, don’t you want to finally prove they’re real?”

Jack heard Arin sigh. “I do, but what if we can’t control him when he shifts?”

“The bars are made of silver. I don’t think he’ll do a thing.” Footsteps came toward Jack. He felt a hand shake his shoulder. “Wake up, Jack. It’s time.”

Jack wondered if he could get away with pretending he was still asleep. Dan shook harder. Jack squinted his eyes and looked up.

“What do you want,” Jack growled.

“Look, we’re almost done. As soon as this gets into your system, we’ll have our proof.”

Jack laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but nothing’s going to happen. I’m only human.”

Dan looked unsure of himself for a moment and then turned to Arin. “Got it ready?”

Arin held up a needle with a violet colored liquid inside. Jack swallowed hard. Dan rolled up Jack’s shirt sleeve, and Jack wondered if he could reach down and bite Dan’s hand.

Arin’s gaze locked with Jack, and walked over to his side. “I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not,” Jack spoke. “If you were, you wouldn’t be doing this.”

Dan looked up at Arin, his face mimicking Arin’s expression, and turned back to Jack. “We’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

Jack opened his mouth to answer. The needle slid into his arm, and Jack grit his teeth. Arin emptied the shot, and Jack watched it ooze into his skin. The vein on his arm turned purple and ran all the way through his shoulder before disappearing under his shirt. Jack held his breath. Arin and Dad looked at him expectantly.

Jack inhaled and exhaled before smiling. “How long is this supposed to take?”

“A minute or two,” Dan replied.

Jack rested his head against the chair. “Get ready for the longest two minutes of your life then.”

After Jack counted to 30, Arin fidgeted. “Dan, I don’t think it’s working.”

“It’s working,” Dan replied, his voice somber, “but I think Jack’s been telling the truth this whole time.”

“Told ya,” Jack grumbled. “Now, can you let me out? I’m stiff as a board.”

Arin ran a hand through his hair. “All that work for nothing. He’s gonna be so pissed.”

“Let him,” Dan said and fished in his pocket. He pulled out a ring of silver keys. Jack watched Dan’s hand fumble through them. He counted at least five- no six- seven? They kept multiplying.

Arin eyed him over. “Jack, you okay there?”

“Yeah,” Jack replied. His voice sounded foreign. Dan’s eyes looked up at him, a ray of hope shining through. All the water in Jack’s mouth rushed to form beads of sweat on his forehead, and his head pounded.

“Arin, it’s working,” Dan jumped back and shook Arin’s shoulder. “Dude, grab your phone and videotape it or something!”

Jack furrowed his brows. It couldn’t work. There was nothing to work on. Jack's fingers gripped the side of the chair as he grit his teeth. Holy fuck, that headache turned into a migraine.

Arin pulled out his phone from his pocket. He pulled up his camera and aimed the phone at Jack. After the screen showed Jack’s image, Arin’s smile turned into a frown. “Dan, what supernatural creature has glowing green eyes?”

Jack looked around the room. Shadows shifted and melted into one another. His heart pounded in his chest, and he began to smell 100 different smells at once. His skin grew cold and clammy, and his whole face hurt.

What the hell was happening?

Then all Jack heard was screaming. Screaming from people he didn’t know. A woman cried out for her child; a man begged someone to stop the pain. Someone cackled and drowned out all their voices.

“Holy shit,” Dan whispered and took a step back. Arin followed soon after. They watched Jack’s whole body convulse. Green veins popped out from the side of his glowing green eyes. The whites oozed into black, and his fingernails extended into black claws. Jack’s head lurched forward. His chin rested on his collarbone.

“Jack?” Arin questioned. He looked over at Danny, who kept his gaze on Jack’s still body.

“Did we kill him?” Dan asked and swallowed hard.

“I hope not.”

“Oh god, Arin, I didn’t want to kill him. What did we do?”

“Okay, don’t panic.”

Jack chuckled, his voice unnaturally pitched. “Kill me? You freed me.”

Dan and Arin watched Jack’s head slowly look up. His eyes drifted between the two of them. Jack’s smile turned into a toothy grin, all teeth pointed, and he looked around the room.

“What the fuck,” Dan whispered, “did we do?”

Jack’s eyes snapped on Dan, and Dan shuddered. He spoke, “You did exactly what you wanted. You drew the supernatural beast resting inside Jack’s soul out. Congratulations boys.”

“I thought he said he was human,” Arin mumbled.

“Oh, he is quite human. I, however, am not.” He glanced down at the restraints on the chair and hummed. “No chance of you unlocking these for me, is there?”

Dan and Arin stared, and Jack nodded his head. He flexed his hand and examined his fingernails. The light above his head flickered, and Jack looked up to the ceiling.

“How long does that stuff last?” Dan asked.

Arin sucked in a breath. “Billy said the effects should last 15 minutes.”

“That’s plenty of time,” Jack spoke. A nail from the top of the rafter fell and landed in the keyhole of Jack’s left arm. It screwed around before the latch clicked. Jack pulled his hand up and examined his wrists. He clicked his tongue. “Look at those red lines. Jack is going to be livid with the two of you.”

He picked the screw up from the lock and put it into the other keyhole. Dan put his hand on Arin’s shoulder. “Stop him or something.”

“Do I look like a priest to you?”

Dan groaned. “I don’t know, just think of something!”

“You didn’t think this through very well, did you?” Jack asked. He freed his other hand and rubbed his wrists. The locks on his legs flew open, and Jack stood straight up. He dusted his shirt off and ran a hand through his hair. Dan and Arin retreated back toward the steps.

“It’s about time,” Jack said and turned his attention to them. His grin lowered. “Oh, leaving so soon? We were just going to have fun, weren’t we?”

The whole room shook. Dan and Arin dashed up the stairs and closed the door behind them. Arin pawed at the door until it locked. The house stilled. Arin put his hand through his hair.

“We fucked up,” he spoke.

“Big time,” Dan replied. “What was that thing?”

Arin looked down at the ground before answering. “I think it was some sort of demon.”

“Is that possible? Did he really have a demon in him this whole time, because I thought demons were supposed to be in control the whole time. And don’t they smell like sulfur?”

“For fuck’s sake, I’m not a demon,” Jack responded on the other side of the door. Dan and Arin jumped back. “Demons are rude fuckers that take over a host’s body. I’ve been here the whole time. Call me the darkness in Jack’s heart.”

“Then how did you do all that stuff?” Arin asked.

“The luck of the Irish?” Jack laughed. “Jack’s always had a mediocre sixth sense, enough for him to see ghosts and some other minor psychic abilities, but that drug you gave him enhanced his ability. I’m just part of the package.”

“So, you’re not Jack,” Dan said as he glanced up at the clock. “Then what do we call you?”

“I guess you would call me Anti-Jack? I don’t know, you’re the clever ones stalling until the drug wears off.” The door handle jiggled, and he sighed. “You locked the door. You think that’ll keep me out for long?”

The lock on the door popped, and Arin pushed Dan toward the living room and up the second flight of stairs. They closed the bedroom door and locked it. Arin stepped back and looked at the window.

“If we take the fire escape, we might be able to outrun him,” he said.

“And what? Let him loose to do who knows what on the town? This is our mess, and we’re going to fix it.”

“How, Dan?” Arin threw his hands up in the air. “We weren’t equipped to handle whatever the hell he is.”

“We’ve got about 7 minutes until the stuff wears off. That’s plenty of time to stall, right?”

“Oh, it’s a game of hide and seek now?” Jack’s voice echoed downstairs and he laughed. “You’re getting more clever by the moment.”

Something banged and glass shattered downstairs, and Jack clicked his tongue. “Not under the dining room table.”

“Suzy’s going to kill me,” Arin mumbled.

“If Jack doesn’t do that first.”

“I heard you,” Jack chuckled. “I didn’t know you wanted to play Marco Polo. Though this isn’t fair. I can feel your heartbeats through the ceiling.”

Dan glanced over at the clock. Five minutes were going to take forever to pass by. The stairs creaked, and Jack began to hum.

“Come on boys. I only want to play a little game,” Jack spoke, his voice at the top of the stairs. His fingernails scraped along the walls as he walked toward them. “Isn’t this what you waited for? Finally, you’d be able to prove the supernatural exist, and you’re hiding under your covers like children from a monster.”

Four minutes.

The door handle to the room jiggled. Arin grabbed the bat by his bedside and gripped it tight. The creak from his hands matched the tension in the room. Jack sighed.

“Didn’t you two learn locked doors mean nothing to me?”

Arin pressed his back up against the side of the wall. He held his finger up to his lips, signaling Dan, and prepared to hit a home run. The door lock clicked, and Jack inched it open.

Arin swung. The bat hit flesh. Jack’s eyes glanced over at Arin. He gripped the bat with his palm and dug his nails into the wood. Arin’s eyes widened before Jack pulled the bat from his hands and threw it down the hallway.

“That kind of hurt,” Jack said and shook his hand out. “You got some bite in your swing. Some advice though: make sure your batter can’t predict your pitch.”

Three minutes.

Arin backed up, and Jack matched his pace into the room. Dan backed up toward the open window. Jack’s eyes flashed over in his direction. The window slammed shut, and Dan flinched away from it. The lock clicked.

Jack’s eyes glowed. The room shook just like the basement. Pictures fell off the wall, and a glass vase vibrated off the dresser. Various objects, such as tiny action figurines, a Megaman bobblehead, and several beauty products, floated up into the air.

Dan ducked as a wig stand flew toward his head. The ceiling fan spun so fast it flew off and left dancing electrical wires in its wake. The floorboards in the room pulled out of the framework and snapped off. One smacked into Arin’s arm. He grabbed it and hissed in pain. Was it the wood or his arm he heard crack? Dan called out his name, but as he looked over, Jack held his hand up. His palm faced Arin.

“You wanted to be a werewolf, am I right?” Jack tilted his head to the right. “Let me show you what it feels like to have something forced out of you.”

Everything in Arin’s body hurt at once. His heart slammed against his ribcage, and he doubled over on the floor. His head threatened to split open. A hand shook his back, but it hardly registered. His teeth felt like a dentist pulled them out one by one. His eyes teared up as his spine bent further forward. Arin’s forehead nearly touched the floor.

Dan grabbed the closest loose floorboard and chucked it at Jack. Jack held up his hand to stop it. Wood collided with his head. He stumbled backward. His hands pawed at his forehead as he yelped. His back hit the perpendicular wall, and he massaged the bump.

Arin panted on the floor. Dan shook his shoulders and called out his name. Arin let his forehead rest on the cool wood below him and hugged his ribcage.

“You crafty buggers,” Jack mumbled. He ran a hand through his hair. “Jack’s going to feel that when he wakes up.”

Dan helped Arin to his feet and looked at the alarm clock. Their time ended a minute ago, but nothing changed. He chewed his lip.

“Jack, please, if you can hear me, you have to fight him off.”

Jack pushed himself off the wall and walked toward them. Dan backed up with Arin. His back hit the closed window.

“I’m tired of playing with you,” Jack spoke. He raised his hand and pushed Dan further back into the window. His head hit the glass, and it splintered. Jack stopped in the middle of the room. Dan’s forehead sweat as he dug his fingernails into the window sill. Jack pulled his arm back. Dan’s head pulled forward with it. Jack grinned as he pushed his hand forward with all his might. Dan’s head smacked into the glass.

Again. Crack.

And again.

Jack laughed as blood dripped from the back of Dan’s head. Dan’s vision blacked out for a moment, and his head fell forward against his chest.

“Wake up, Dan. It’s time,” Jack taunted. He grabbed Dan’s chin in his hand. His fingers dug into Dan’s flesh. Jack looked down at the lack of fingernails and frowned.

“Oh, and I was just about to get to the good part.”

Jack backed up and grabbed his head. His eyes returned to their blue color, and his teeth dulled down to normal. He fell to his knees as he clutched his head.

Dan slid down the wall and gulped down air. Arin followed him down and held his injured arm. Jack’s forehead lurched forward and touched the floor before he stopped breathing.

 

Ken sniffed the air again. “It’s him alright. It’s faint, but it’s here.”

Signe reached up and tested the door. She sighed and pulled a bobby pin from her hair. “I don’t know why I expected it to be unlocked.”

“You never know,” Ken said with a shrug. Signe fiddled with the lock until it clicked. She pushed the door open and sucked in a breath. The table from the dining room was flipped over, and glass littered the floor.

“Ladies first?”

Signe made a face as Ken sent a sly smile. She stepped in, her hand on the taser at the base of her belt, and looked around.

Ken’s breathing filled the silence. Signe looked around and noticed an upstairs and a downstairs, which had the door wide open. Signe motioned to the basement.

“You take up, and I’ll take down.” She put a hand on Ken’s arm. “Please be careful.”

“You too,” he said as he walked toward the stairs. Signe took one step at a time. She got low enough to peer under the ceiling. Chemicals lined up along a table, and a chair with straps sat in the middle. She climbed down the stairs faster and examined the chair. A strand of green hair stuck up from the back.

Jack was here, but where was he now?

“Signe, you might want to get up here,” Ken called from upstairs. She noted the distress in his voice and nearly fell up the stairs. Her mind pictured Jack dead on the floor. She thought of him lying on a bed, in pain, motionless. Her thoughts shifted to Jack’s face bloody, beaten in, and eyes swollen shut.

She didn’t expect two guys to be passed out under a window, their room looking like it suffered a tornado attack, and Jack passed out on the floor.

Ken put his two fingers right under Jack’s chin. “He’s still alive, but his heartbeat’s really weak.”

Signe examined the two guys at the end of the room. “They’re still alive too. One has a deep gash in his head, and the other looks like he popped his shoulder out of his socket.” She looked up and saw the bloody cracked window. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, but we need to get them to the hospital as fast as we can.”

 

Jack woke up to a few wires, a rhythmic heart monitor, and Ken reading beside his bedside. His whole body ached, and his throat felt like the desert. Ken looked up from his book and smiled.

“Well good morning there, sunshine. It’s about time you woke up.” Jack looked around the room. Ken continued, “We found you passed out in the supernatural investigator’s house. They’re in pretty rough shape too. You know what happened?”

Jack creased his brow and then shook his head side to side. Ken hummed and closed his book.

“They okay?” Jack asked.

“One’s got a concussion, but the other is doing just fine.” Ken scratched the inside of his wrist. “You sure you don’t remember anything that happened?”

“Nothin.” Jack swallowed thickly.

“I’ll go get the nurse and tell them you’re awake,” Ken spoke. He stood up, and Jack grabbed onto his pants leg. Ken raised a brow, and Jack thought.

“I heard someone talking. Someone in my head.” Jack narrowed his eyes. “They gave me something. It enhanced supernatural abilities.”

Ken waited for him to continue. “You think it did something to you?”

Jack looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know. I passed out.”

Ken nodded his head and ruffled Jack’s hair. “Well, you have a human’s scent yet, so whatever they gave you must have gotten you too bad. I’ll be right back.”

Jack watched Ken walk out the door. His eyes landed on a mirror on the other side of the wall. He could’ve sworn his reflection smiled at him.

 

Jack hopped up the steps beside Ken. Ken turned the door key in the lock and announced their arrival.

As soon as Jack stepped into the house, Mark’s spirit passed through him. He shivered, and Mark appeared on the other side of him.

“God, Jack, I’m so sorry! I tried to help, honest. I wanted to-”

“Mark.”

“-but the dumb rules kept me in the house and-”

“Mark!” He put his hand up. Mark stopped talking and looked at Jack’s smile. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean for them to take me.”

Mark smiled, and Felix fumbled down the stairs. He crashed into Jack and held him in a tight hug.

“We were so worried about you!” Felix pushed Jack back by his shoulders. “Don’t you ever get kidnapped ever again.”

Jack laughed. “I’ll put it on my to-do list.”

“What happened to those guys?” Mark asked.

Ken answered, “They got released from the hospital a few hours before Jack. One of them said they were going to stop pursuing us and apologized several times for what happened. I told him we’d keep quiet about what happened as long as he kept Willaim off our tail. He agreed-”

“And you believed him?” Felix snuffed.

“I did,” Ken replied. “Signe showed him what will happen if he tries to mess with us again.”

The supernatural trio laughed. Jack let the conversation fade into white noise. He thought of how scared Arin looked when he saw him again. What happened after he passed out? A shadow moved in the corner of his eye, and Jack snapped his head toward it. The window curtain moved in the breeze. Jack shook it off as nerves, but something in his gut twisted with terror.

The medicine’s side effects echoed in his mind. What if something worse happened than just diarrhea? He shook his head; that was impossible. He was only human after all.

Right?

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy, the plot thickens. :D The next part is one you've been Wading for! We're going to dive into Mark's past, and possibly find out what's keeping him here.
> 
> Want sneak peeks and to stalk my work more? Follow me on Tumblr at [purrtlepuff](purrtlepuff.tumblr.com) or just stalk me silently. No peer pressure from me.
> 
> Until next time!


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